Modern smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 9 have evolved into powerful multimedia centers where saving information from the screen becomes a daily necessity, whether it is an important dialogue, a concert ticket, an instruction or a funny meme, the ability to quickly capture an image on the display is a basic skill of the user. The MIUI operating system that is installed on the device has several mechanisms for creating images, and each of them has its own characteristics.
Many gadget owners still use only one method, not knowing there are more convenient alternatives. For example, creating long screenshots or controlling voice can save you a lot of time in everyday use. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods in detail, as well as answering frequent questions that users have when working with the clipboard and gallery.
Understanding how to take a picture of the screen of Xiomi Redmi 9 will not only allow you to save content, but also to structure your digital data efficiently. We will look at standard button combinations, advanced gestures, voice control and even automation of the process. In addition, you will learn exactly where files are saved and what to do if the system stops responding to commands.
Standard Method: Physical button combination
The most common and reliable way that works on any Android device, including Redmi 9, is to press the audio and power keys simultaneously, which is universal and works even when the touchscreen is temporarily unresponsive or the interface freezes.
The key here is synchronicity of pressing. If you press the power button earlier or later than the volume button, the phone will perceive this as a command to turn off or call the emergency services menu. The optimal delay between presses should not exceed 0.5 seconds, ideally they should occur almost instantly one after another. Once you successfully perform the action, you will hear the characteristic click of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner a thumbnail of the picture taken.
Long hold (more than 2-3 seconds) on Xiaomi models often leads to a call to the Google Assistant voice assistant or reboot menu, which will interrupt the process of creating a screenshot. A short, confident click is enough. If the picture did not work the first time, try changing the rhythm of the press to make it sharper and shorter.
- 📱 Press the button Loudness down and Power at the same time.
- ⏱️ Hold the buttons for less than one second so as not to trigger the off menu.
- 🔊 The sound signal of the shutter is evidenced by the successful preservation of the frame.
- 🖼️ The miniature will appear in the corner of the screen, allowing you to immediately go to editing.
⚠️ Note: On some firmware modifications, the retention duration of the buttons for a screenshot can be configured in the special features menu, changing the standard behavior of the system.
This method remains the most popular because of its predictability, but when you use your phone with one hand, it can be difficult to reach opposite sides of the device, and it is in these situations that software solutions built into the MIUI shell come to the rescue.
Gesture control: shooting with three fingers
For those who find it uncomfortable to physically interact with buttons, Xiaomi engineers have implemented a screenshot-swipe feature that is especially relevant when the phone is on the table or when the other hand is busy, and you need to activate this option in the system settings.
The way to activate the function is to go to Settings, select the Additional Settings section, then the buttons and gestures, and find the Screenshot with three fingers. Once the switch is turned on, just swipe three fingers from top to bottom over any area of the screen, and the system instantly responds to the touch and saves the image.
It is important to note that the touchscreen sensitivity in the Redmi 9 is quite high, so the touch should be sure, but not too strong. If the feature doesn’t work, check if it is interfered with by a low-quality protective glass or a high-sided case that can block the side areas of the screen. DRM, This gesture can be blocked programmatically.
☑️ Checking the gesture settings
Using gestures greatly speeds up work in scenarios that require frequent content retention, such as when texting in messengers or using social media feeds. You can take pictures with one hand, which increases the ergonomics of using the device in transport or on the go.
Voice control and quick access panel
Modern smartphones allow you to control many functions without touching the screen, and Redmi 9 is no exception. Voice assistant Google Assistant or built-in Xiao AI (in global versions may be limited) is able to take a screenshot on command.
The second convenient software method is to use a notification curtain. Swipe down from top to top to open the control center, and find the screenshot icon. Pressing it is like pressing physical buttons. This is ideal when the volume buttons are faulty or locked programmatically in a particular application. You can add this button to the top row of the quick access for convenience by editing the list of widgets in the curtain.
Voice control is particularly useful in situations where the user's hands are dirty or wet, and touching the screen is undesirable. However, this method requires a stable Internet connection to work, since voice command processing often takes place on the company's servers. In conditions of poor network coverage, the command may be unrecognized or executed with a delay.
- 🎙️ Activate the voice assistant and say "Screenshot".
- 📲 Lower the notification curtain and tap the scissors icon.
- ⚙️ Add the screenshot widget to "Favorites" in the curtain for quick access.
- 🌐 Voice control requires an active Internet connection.
⚠️ Note: In some banking applications and incognito browser modes, screenshots through a curtain or voice may be blocked by Android security policies.
The function of a long screenshot (scroll)
One of the most popular features in the MIUI shell is the ability to create long screenshots, or "scrolls." It's an indispensable tool for saving long WhatsApp or Telegram correspondence, web pages, contact lists or navigators. Instead of taking dozens of individual frames, you get one single image.
The process of creating this image starts as standard: take a regular screenshot in any convenient way. Immediately after that, a thumbnail will appear in the upper right corner. It will have a button with a down arrow or the words Scroll. Click on it, and the phone will automatically scroll down the contents of the screen, stitching the image in real time.
You can stop the process at any time by tapping the screen or pressing the stop button that appears instead of the scroll button. The system will automatically crop the image at the stop. It's important to understand that the maximum length of this screenshot is limited by the resolution of the matrix and the capabilities of the processor, but for most tasks this is more than enough.
| Parameter | A typical screenshot. | Long screenshot. |
|---|---|---|
| File format | JPEG / PNG | JPEG/PNG (extended) |
| File size | ~100-300 Kb | ~1-5 MB (depending on length) |
| Time of creation | Instantly. | Depends on the length of the scrolling. |
| Application | One frame. | Correspondences, websites, lists |
When using the scroll function, try not to touch the screen during the process so as not to knock down the automatic scroll. If the content on the page is dynamically loaded (for example, a news feed), the screenshot may interrupt or go in cycles, so it is better to use this feature for static content.
What to do if the screenshot is blurred?
Timer and delayed screenshot
In the arsenal of the user Xiaomi Redmi 9, there is a lesser-known, but extremely useful feature – a screenshot timer, which allows you to postpone the creation of a picture for 3 or 5 seconds, this is necessary when you want to capture the context menu, a pop-up prompt or any interface element that disappears when you touch the screen or press buttons.
To use this feature, open the control panel (curtain) and find the Timer tool (watch icon). Choose a delay of 3 or 5 seconds. After that, the screen will go out or countdown will appear, and you will have time to open the desired menu or go to the desired application. After time, the system will automatically take a picture of what is displayed on the display.
This method is also useful for creating screenshots without the system’s interface elements, such as notification curtains or navigation buttons, if they overlap the content you want. The timer gives you time to remove your hands from the screen so that the image does not leave traces of touches or finger slashes that can be seen on the glossy coating.
- ⏳ Open the control panel and select "Timer".
- 🕒 Set the delay to 3 or 5 seconds.
- 👆 Quickly open the desired menu or application.
- 📸 Wait for the automatic shutter click.
⚠️ Note: When using a timer, make sure the screen does not go out due to the expiration of the latency (sleep mode). Increase the time before going to sleep in the display settings if the process takes longer.
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Tip: To create clean screenshots of the interface without unnecessary icons, use the "Do Not Disturb" mode so that pop-up notifications do not spoil the frame during the countdown timer.
Where screenshots are stored and how to manage them
Once an image is created, it is automatically stored in the device's internal memory. By default, all screenshots are placed in the Screenshots folder, which is located at the root of the internal memory or in the DCIM directory. The Gallery's standard app has a separate album for them, making it easy to distinguish them from the photos taken by the camera.
Android File System on Redmi 9 It is organized logically: the path to the file usually looks like /internal_storage/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/screenshots/ or /internal_storage/Pictures/Screenshots/. If you connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable, you can find these folders and copy images for archiving or editing on the big screen.
Screenshot management involves not only viewing, but editing. Immediately after you create a picture, you click on a thumbnail, you get to the editor, where you can crop an image, draw on it, add text, stickers, or blur sensitive data (the "Blurr" function), a powerful tool that eliminates the need to install third-party applications for basic graphics processing.
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All screenshots are saved in a separate Screenshots album in the Gallery and are also available through a file manager in the DCIM or Pictures folder.
Cleaning your screenshot folder regularly is a good habit, as it can take up a significant amount of memory, especially if you use the long shot feature often. The built-in Cleanup tool in the Security app can find and delete old or similar screenshots, freeing up space.
Frequent problems and their solution
Despite the system's fine-tuning, users sometimes face situations where screenshots are not created, most often due to security limitations of specific applications, such as banking clients, applications with a wide range of applications. DRM-In the incognito mode of browsers, the system blocks the creation of screenshots, in which case instead of the image you will receive a black square or a notification of prohibition.
Another common problem is a lack of free memory: if Redmi 9's internal storage is crowded, the system will not be able to save the new file, in which case you need to delete unnecessary files or applications, and it is also worth checking the permissions for the Gallery or System Interface application, making sure they have access to the device's memory.
If screenshots are created but not displayed in the gallery, try clearing the Gallery app cache through the app settings menu. Sometimes it helps to simply reboot the device, which resets temporary errors of the media scanning service responsible for indexing new files.